At Springfield, Morgan had sent a detachment…
July 1863 CE
This detachment had crossed the Ohio River at Twelve Mile Island, but they are captured near New Pekin, Indiana, before they can rejoin Morgan.
To further mislead the Federals on his objectives, Morgan has his telegrapher, "Lightning" Ellsworth, tap telegraph lines and, pretending to be a Union telegrapher, send several messages giving different headings for the raiders and false reports of the size of Morgan's force—sometimes reporting it as high as seven thousand men.
Ellsworth will do this throughout the journey, especially in Indiana.